Folding ladder.



W. C. SHINN. FOLDING LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. i916.

Patented July 17 7 WILLIAM C. SHINN, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

FOLDING LADDER.

To all whom it may concern.

e it known that I, WILLIAM C. SniNN, citizen of the In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several embodiments of the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of one form of ladder showing the same hooked over the comb of the roof of a building. a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper end of the ladder shown partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top planview of Fig. '1, parts thereof being broken away.

F *ig. 4 is a section on the line4-4 of ig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the ladder used as a fire escape.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of releasing device.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper portion of the ladder, parts being broken away.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fi 7.

The ladder in the form illustrated is made entirely of metal, although structural advantages may out necessarily using this material throughout.

The ladder is supported by a pair of hooks 1 preferably stamped from heavy sheet metal, said hooks having openings in their lower ends which receive loosely a tu bular cross bar 2, and about which they may turn. Said hooks are held in fixed, spaced relation by a rod 3, the projecting ends of which may be riveted over, as shown in Fig. 7, or said rod may project at both ends for purposes hereinafter described, as shown at 4 in Fig. 3. A tilting member or lever 5 1s also loosely mounted on the tubular rod 2, preferably at some point between the two hooks. One end ofsaid lever has an opening to which the end of a rope 6 may be se Specification of Letters Patent.

ends and through Patented July 17, mi 7.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,300.

cured for the purpose of rocking the hooks with respect to the rest of the ladder in order to release the ladder from its support, as explained later. lVhile the lever 5 is shown in the drawings as of angular construction, it is obvious any other suitable form if desired.

he ends of the tubular rod 2 are each provided with a slot 7 through which passes that the same may be made in the upper link 8 of a metal chain 9. Said upper link is expanded and held within the tubular rod by means of a metal stud 10, kept in place by a small site sides of one of the links, and a rivet or other suitable fastening device 13 passes through alined openings in said contracted the opening in the link.

with the chain tate the drawing together ofsaid ends.

The ladder, as thus far described, is made entirelyof metal, preferably galvanized iron, to prevent rusting, although I do not limit myself to this material. It is strong and durable, and may be readily rolled or folded into small carried about.

It has such movement. The workman continues to pull on the rope until after the hooks have passed the comb of the roof, the pull at this time being directed downwardly of the roof,

compass, and conveniently the installation of llghtning rods on whereupon the hooks fall forward into their normal position as indicated in dotted lines, except that they do not engage the roof securely until the lower end of the iron ladder is drawn downwardly, causing the hooks to engage the comb of the roof as shown, inwhich position the workman may downwardly on tied to cross bar safely entrust his weight to said After the lightning rod installation has been completed, the operator descends the ladder in the usual manner and passing to the opposite side of the house or barn, pulls the rope 6, thereby causing the hooks to rotate about their pivotal support ,2 and throwing them back approximately to the' full line position, whereupon by slacking off on the rope, the ladder will slide down the inclined roof and may be lowered to. the ground. As shown in Fig. 2, the swinging of the hooks is effected by the lever-.5, the lower arm of which is preferably positioned atan angle with respect to the other arm to facilitate the swinging movement. Ihe same result may be obtained however, by simply having the rope 3, first passing it around the tubular member 2, as shown in Fig. 6. The projecting ends A of the cross bar 3 limitthe backward throw of the hooks by engaging the links of the chain, thereby preventing more than a half revolution of said hooks. With this arrangement, it is necessary in drawing the ladder into position to tie the rope first around the tubular bar 2 with the hooks drawn back sothat they will not catch during the upward movement of the ladder, but leaving them free tov swing forward and engage the roof after the crest has been passed. When the operator is ready to descend, it is necessary to untie the rope from the bar 2 and tie it to the bar 3, as in 6. To eliminatethe F1 tying and untying operation, the end of the rope may be provided with a suitable hook,

if desired. Of course I do not limit myself to a rope, as various other expedients may be adopted.

The ladder is of course applicable to many uses other than the particular one described herein. For example, it may be used as a fire escape, as shown in Fig. 5, by catching Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the the hooks over the window sill 16. Under such conditions, the release of the ladder is of no particular importance.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the particular structural details disclosed herein, except where limitations are imposed in the appended claims. 1 ladder.

What I claim as new and desire to secure\ by Letters Patent'of the United States is:\

1. In combination, a ladder, a device pivoted to or near the upper end thereof adapted to hook over or engage a support, and a flexiblemember so connected to said pivoted device and said ladder as to have a reactionary effect upon said ladder, so that a pull upon said member, will tend to throw back said device with reference to said ladder.

2. A ladder comprising a pair of flexible longitudinal members, a transverse member connecting said flexible members at one end thereof, engaging means supported by said transverse member and rotatable with respect to said flexible members, and a flexible releasing member so connected to said engaging means as to. rock the latter to. inoperative position when said releasing member is pulled in a direction opposite to the pull due to the weight of the ladder.

3. A folding ladder comprising a pair of longitudinal members, a cross bar to which said longitudinal members are secured, a plurality of hooks pivotally mounted on said cross bar, a cross rod mounted above said cross bar and engaging said hooks to hold the same in fixed relation and to cause them to revolve together about said cross bar, and a lever mounted for rotation on said cross bar, one arm of said lever cooperating with said cross rod, the other arm thereof being free and adapted to receive operating means, whereby said hooks may be rotated.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21 day of February, A. D. 1916.

WILLIAM G. SHINN.

'Witnesses': I

L. B. SHINN, L. M. REID.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

